Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-13
ST. AUGUSTINE'S BIG FIRE
THE OLD CATHEDRAL AMONG
THE BUILDINGS BURNED.

Flames Also Destroy the Roof of the Old
Sisve MArket-The Laundry fthe vt.
Augustine Hotel the Starting Point of
the CopAsgrAtion-Man Firms Burned
Out-The Total Loss over 5000 900
with Light Insurance.
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA, April II. - Fire
broke out In the laundry of the st. Au-
gustlne Hotel at O'Clock this morning
and in a short time had spread 80 rapidly
that the whole building was on fire. The
guests all escaped, many OF them not
having time to take their clothing and
valuables. The flames spread rapidly on
Charlotte street, taking in its course
the Cottage bar and billiard rooms,
Vedder & Compton's dry goods
store. the Edwards House, county
court house, Weller's restaurant, Ben
hoyon & MonseaPs cigar store, Chamber
lin & Sons wholesale ana retail grocery,
Steiner Bros, fruit store, the Chinese
restaurant, Bucks restaurant, Vedder's
museum, Mrs. Carr's residence, the new
building being erected for the First Ma
tiOnal Bank, and the old Spanish Cathe-
dral, the contents OF which had been re-
moved at an early stage OF the DIRE, except
the pipe organ.
ANOTHER HOTEL THREATENED.
At one time it seemed impossible to save
the Florida Hotel, which was separated
from the burning buildings by street tf-
teen feet wide, and as the burning OF the
Florida House meant the destruction of
everything from the plaza to the city
gates all efforts were concentrated on this
building. After hard struggle the
flames were gotten under control, but not
until after the old Planters, an addition
TO the Florida House, had burned. About
D o'clock special train was sent to Jack
sonvIlle for assistance, but before they
were ready to return the fire was under
control.
THE HEAVIEST LOSER.
The heaviest loser will be f. e. Vail,
sole owner and proprietor Of the st. Au-
gustine Hotel, whose loss on building
and furniture will reach 100000, the pol
icies having expired on April and not
having been renewed.
The loss on the Cathedral is placed at
$4,000 on the building and its coRtents.
The insurance on the building is 81, 100,
and on the organ $500.
The loss on the bank building Is $4,000,
which will fall on the contractors, the st.
Augustine Improvement Company. They
have no insurance.
The losses on ID. Zialynsky's building
rance $1,000.
WIPED OUT OF $1,000.
Cbamberlin & Sons loss on stock is
1000 and their insurance $4,000.
Vedder & Compton's loss on stock OF
dry goods is 81, 800, with no insurance.
The damage to the Edwards house is
| $500, with no insurance. The building is
| owned by Vedder IL Henderson.
The Court House was valued at $4,000,
| on which there is no insurance. The
records in the Clerks office were all
saved.
On the Misses.smiths' building the loss
| 1881, 900, with no insurance.
On Benhoyon 4 GOnZaleZ's cigar store
and factory the loss on stock is $4,000, on
| which there was no insurance. They
succeeded in saving about $1,000 worth OF
stock.
THE OWNER or THE BLOCK.
W. l.. Sinclair, of Baltimore, is the
owner of the block, on which there was
no insurance. His loss is about $4,000.
Mrs. Carr's loss on her residence is about
S4, 900 and her insurance is $1,000.
The loss on the Planters Hotel, which
belonged TO the Florida House, Messrs.
Leonard & Beck, proprietors, on
| building, us $500 The building
was occupied by Mr.. Beck's family,
| who lost, besides valuable personal
property, about 81 900 in money and hotel
| supplies TO the amount OF nearly $4,000.
| They have no insurance.
HIGH INSURANCE RATES.
The high rates charged by the insur-
ance companies is the cause of so little
| insurance being carried. Excepting the
| burning of Bridget Barry, a achambermaid
| in the st. Augustine Hotel, there were no
| lives lost. The guests OF the burned
| hotels were entertained at the San Marco.
| There were great many small losses Of
which il ls impossible to learn the exact
| amounts, but the total loss will not reach
over 100000.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The fire department consisted only Of a
Lhook and ladder truck and one Mansfield
| steam engine, was soon on the scene, but
il was impossible 10 do anything to save
the hotel, which was already wrapped in
! flames.
Al the Cathedral the roof caught first
and soon Tell, destroying all the old his
| tOric relics In the interior. The Old
| chimes fell too, their last work being an
alarm which helped summon the citizens
to the scene OF the copflagratiOu.
By great effort the Bishops
residence ana the house of DR.. j. E. Peck
on the west were saved, but were greatly
| damaged by water. At this time the east
wall OF the St. Augustine House, facing
Charlotte street, fell in carrying the
flames to the Sinclair block on the oppo-
site side.
The old cathedral was one OF the most
interesting landmarks in the city. IL was
built In 1879 and was In use for purposes
OF worship up TO the time OF It's destruc-
ton.
The average rate OF Insurance seems to
have been 81 per cent. and this has
operated as prescriptiye tariif.
The roof Of the old slave mart in the
plaza was also burned. The stone pill
lars on which the root rested still stand.
IL mad no sides TO burn.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.
WAsHINGToN, April l2.--The folio wing
telegram was received at the Treasury
Department to-day from tho Collector Of
| Customs at ST. Augustine, Fla:
The principal part Of the city has been de-
| gtoyed by fire. The county court house IS also
| burned. Can offor assistance ia the way Of
| rooms in the post Office building not occupiedf
! II is impossible 10 procure rooms outside OF
! this building. The records are exposed.
Secretary Fairohild telegraphed as fol-
| lows in reply
Render byery assistance 90 the city Off
cials In tho way OF providing rooms IN the
poet -ofico building.
Pennsylvania High License Bill.
HARRIsBURG, PA, April I2.-Tbo
| uouaa thla afteFnOOu Dassed the Brooke